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Sadly a BS has really come to live up to its name these days.
Crooks
That's true but the fact that a high school encourages its students to go on to a college of some sort says a lot about the high school itself.
I think the fact that Oceanside is much higher in this area than other schools says a lot.
The fact that places like Mepham, Seaford, and Mount Sinai beat Oceanside in these rankings almost just gives me the hint that the former three areas are in wealthier places.
Three Village definitely caters to the super-bright kids, so if you've got brainy kids, that's probably the best place for them - they would be in the IG program (self-contained Gifted and Talented), and from there move on up through the tracking with honors and AP classes, etc. And as Crooks pointed out, Ward Melville kids destroy other high schools students re Intel. Keep in mind that a lot of SUNY professors and MD's live in the district and create this somewhat unique large gene pool (unique in the sense that there are a lot of these kids, whereas in another district there wouldn't be the huge number); these kids are intellectually like their mom and dads. So, if dad's a physics prof, chances are his kids will lean towards science (and be almost as spectacular in other subjects), get themselves a mentor from the U. and throw in their chances in Intel, and possibly win. On the other hand, average kids are taught too, and at their own pace. Most classes are geared for the average student, so they're in no way being shortchanged. And all of them are entitled to be admitted into the brainy programs, but they have to make the grade, and most don't. What you see in the newspapers regarding awards such as Intel, national merit scholars, etc., involve this high end group who move from IG and into the rest of the school system in junior high. Of course there are always kids who move into the district in junior and high school years who are super bright too, and they're to be included in that elite group.
Geographically speaking, we lived in 3V for 23 years, and I can testify there isn't an area as sketchy as parts of Deer Park or Wyandanch out there. But 3V is quite a ways out from NYC - a major drawback for people commuting to NYC. On the other hand, Dix Hills is sort of an oasis in the midst of some not-so-great areas. I think overall 3V is in a better area, but for someone who has to access NYC on a regular basis, Dix Hills would be better logistically. My cousin chose Dix Hills for her kids - her brilliant son (and I mean brilliant - he beat the pants off my 18-year-old at chess in nothing flat and wipes out people at area chess matches) is in 4th grade this year and bored to death even with the enrichment programs they have (and not many at that), and her other child is in 7th grade and doing okay. Not as brainy as her younger brother. So the younger kid is wasting time in a regular classroom filled with slow kids, in his opinion, and would be much better served in the 3V IG program. I've been trying to convince her to take him out and put him in the Huntington School for the Gifted until he gets to middle school.
I've been a NYSSMA judge for a couple of years, and one thing that happened last year in Dix Hills at the Candelwood School while I was judging, was the regional big shot who is present at all the NYSSMA's on LI actually told me to add a couple of extra points to each kids score in the sightreading category, even though none of them deserved it. None of them could sightread (this means for people who aren't familiar with music that the kids can't read music - can't identify notes, can't play them, etc.) Which made me wonder at the time if this was to make the kids in that region (it includes Huntington, Dix Hills, Huntington Station schools, etc.) look smarter and better than the kids in another NYSSMA district, say out in Bellport where I've never been asked to "cheat." Never judging in the Huntington region again, and will be bringing it up to some NYSSMA higher ups when the opportunity arises. And unfortunately all of those parents whose kids I had to bump the scores for, now the parents actually think their kids are learning how to read music, when in fact they're not. A huge disservice to say the least, while making private teachers in the Dix Hills area look oh so much better than further East.
I'd take some of those newspaper numbers with a grain of salt. They're just numbers. In the end it's a combination of things that make a student successful or not - genetics, motivation, support at home, friends they hang with (I've found that to be a huge factor), etc. If you work in NYC stay in Dix Hills and put your kids where they need to be, either in public school or the school for the gifted. If you don't need to be near NYC, you'll get a better buy on a house out in 3V at this time.
Three Village definitely caters to the super-bright kids, so if you've got brainy kids, that's probably the best place for them - they would be in the IG program (self-contained Gifted and Talented), and from there move on up through the tracking with honors and AP classes, etc. And as Crooks pointed out, Ward Melville kids destroy other high schools students re Intel. Keep in mind that a lot of SUNY professors and MD's live in the district and create this somewhat unique large gene pool (unique in the sense that there are a lot of these kids, whereas in another district there wouldn't be the huge number); these kids are intellectually like their mom and dads. So, if dad's a physics prof, chances are his kids will lean towards science (and be almost as spectacular in other subjects), get themselves a mentor from the U. and throw in their chances in Intel, and possibly win. On the other hand, average kids are taught too, and at their own pace. Most classes are geared for the average student, so they're in no way being shortchanged. And all of them are entitled to be admitted into the brainy programs, but they have to make the grade, and most don't. What you see in the newspapers regarding awards such as Intel, national merit scholars, etc., involve this high end group who move from IG and into the rest of the school system in junior high. Of course there are always kids who move into the district in junior and high school years who are super bright too, and they're to be included in that elite group.
Geographically speaking, we lived in 3V for 23 years, and I can testify there isn't an area as sketchy as parts of Deer Park or Wyandanch out there. But 3V is quite a ways out from NYC - a major drawback for people commuting to NYC. On the other hand, Dix Hills is sort of an oasis in the midst of some not-so-great areas. I think overall 3V is in a better area, but for someone who has to access NYC on a regular basis, Dix Hills would be better logistically. My cousin chose Dix Hills for her kids - her brilliant son (and I mean brilliant - he beat the pants off my 18-year-old at chess in nothing flat and wipes out people at area chess matches) is in 4th grade this year and bored to death even with the enrichment programs they have (and not many at that), and her other child is in 7th grade and doing okay. Not as brainy as her younger brother. So the younger kid is wasting time in a regular classroom filled with slow kids, in his opinion, and would be much better served in the 3V IG program. I've been trying to convince her to take him out and put him in the Huntington School for the Gifted until he gets to middle school.
I've been a NYSSMA judge for a couple of years, and one thing that happened last year in Dix Hills at the Candelwood School while I was judging, was the regional big shot who is present at all the NYSSMA's on LI actually told me to add a couple of extra points to each kids score in the sightreading category, even though none of them deserved it. None of them could sightread (this means for people who aren't familiar with music that the kids can't read music - can't identify notes, can't play them, etc.) Which made me wonder at the time if this was to make the kids in that region (it includes Huntington, Dix Hills, Huntington Station schools, etc.) look smarter and better than the kids in another NYSSMA district, say out in Bellport where I've never been asked to "cheat." Never judging in the Huntington region again, and will be bringing it up to some NYSSMA higher ups when the opportunity arises. And unfortunately all of those parents whose kids I had to bump the scores for, now the parents actually think their kids are learning how to read music, when in fact they're not. A huge disservice to say the least, while making private teachers in the Dix Hills area look oh so much better than further East.
I'd take some of those newspaper numbers with a grain of salt. They're just numbers. In the end it's a combination of things that make a student successful or not - genetics, motivation, support at home, friends they hang with (I've found that to be a huge factor), etc. If you work in NYC stay in Dix Hills and put your kids where they need to be, either in public school or the school for the gifted. If you don't need to be near NYC, you'll get a better buy on a house out in 3V at this time.
Re: the "service road" aspect of Dix Hills, to me that translates into better proximity to everywhere off LI. Took me 20 minutes with no traffic to get from driveway of friend's house in DH to the Cross Island Pkwy. How far does 20 mins of driving get you out in 3V territory? That's why I picked DH over Old Field. Time matters when you commute.
Good point. My friend lives by the OF lighthouse, it can take close to 25 mins to get to the LIE. If commuting weren't an issue, I would pick OF over DH.
I think that a school fills out a very detailed application to apply for the blue ribbon status. It's something they do once, not every year. Many schools on LI have blue ribbon status. So, this school waited till 2009 to apply and they are one of 4 that applied this year and were granted. However, many other schools already have the blue ribbon status, they don't reapply every year.
I think that a school fills out a very detailed application to apply for the blue ribbon status. It's something they do once, not every year. Many schools on LI have blue ribbon status. So, this school waited till 2009 to apply and they are one of 4 that applied this year and were granted. However, many other schools already have the blue ribbon status, they don't reapply every year.
That wasn't what I was trying to say, Crooks. I was just pointing out that there is more than 1 school in Suffolk that has blue ribbon schools. 3V is a great district, as everyone knows, but it's not the only one with a blue ribbon school.
Of course, we should go on to discuss the significance/insignifance of blue ribbon schools and why all the schools on LI are so much better than any other school in the country and how all of that doesn't matter b/c all of the ranking systems are silly anyway........
That wasn't what I was trying to say, Crooks. I was just pointing out that there is more than 1 school in Suffolk that has blue ribbon schools. 3V is a great district, as everyone knows, but it's not the only one with a blue ribbon school.
Of course, we should go on to discuss the significance/insignifance of blue ribbon schools and why all the schools on LI are so much better than any other school in the country and how all of that doesn't matter b/c all of the ranking systems are silly anyway........
Perhaps...I just thought it was a nice to see 4 from LI (and only one from Suffolk).
Crooks
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